I was just reading comments on Lindsay Lohan's jail time for violating probation on a DUI charge.
So many people seemed so happy to see her spend time in jail. Why? I am far from the world's biggest LL fan, and there are a large number of Hollywood personas I would add to that list (Mel just got added recently). However, it begs the question: why are we so glad when others fail? Are we jealous? Vain? Does it appeal to our fragile sense of self to see other more successful people brought back down to Earth? What do you think?
It is my sincere hope that those of us who have found The Way have used this to go beyond such pettiness. We should feel sorry for those of weak character; sorry for those surrounded by people who do not protect them and keep them grounded. There are many ways to fall from grace, and I am sure it is hard to deal with the difficulties of fame and fortune, just as it is hard to deal with not having them.
My advice to everyone is to keep on training. Always keep training, and have faith that good teachers and a good school will help us all see the importance of the smaller things in life.
My original teacher gave me a puzzle once. he drew two parallel lines of equal length on a piece of paper with a pencil. he said "How can I make one line longer than the other?" I replied instantly. "You can take a pencil and draw more onto one line." He agreed. But then he pointed out "Can I not also make one line longer by erasing part of the other line?" He continued, "Be careful that you never make your line longer than another person's by erasing their line. This is not the spirit of The Way."
I have never forgotten his lesson, and we are all wise to bear it in mind. Let's focus on our own lines and make them longer through our training.
saw this online and had to share it...note that martial arts training will help develop many of these habits. I count about half of the below that are part of life in a good martial arts school.
Osu!
John
36 Ways to Make a Positive Impression in Less Than 10 Seconds Posted on May 3rd, 2010 by Todd Smith
There are literally hundreds if not thousands of little things we can do to raise the bar in our professional and personal lives. So many of these things are easy to do and can be accomplished in less than 10 seconds. They just require an intentional effort.
What is CRITICAL to understand is that your ultimate success, fulfillment and happiness will come from doing the little things that matter.
As entrepreneur and best selling author Harvey Mackay said, “Little things don’t mean a lot. They mean everything.”
Here is a short list of 36 things you can do in less than 10 seconds that will make you a better person, enhance your self-image and improve the quality of your life.
1. Make it a point to say the words ”I love you” to the people in your home every single day. 2. Offer a friendly authentic smile- a great smile radiates warmth, puts people at ease and makes you likable. 3. Make comfortable eye contact- your eyes send messages; establishing and maintaining eye contact with people demonstrates confidence, respect, and genuine interest. 4. Use someone’s name – everyone likes to hear and see his or her name. 5. Acknowledge people- smile and say hi to the people around you. 6. Express your appreciation- say “thank you” to everyone who does something for you even if they are paid to do it. 7. Be unselfish and put others first- it could be as simple as holding the door open for someone. 8. Offer a word of encouragement- sometimes this is all a person needs to build confidence and take the next big step. This is big! 9. Accept responsibility when you are wrong- it’s the sign of a person with character. 10. Be friendly- it lifts the attitude of others and is the #1 factor in being likable. 11. Maintain a positive mental attitude- your attitude is a choice and that choice is 100% within your control. 12. Be kind and considerate- to people you know as well as strangers. 13. Be like a dog and be the first to greet people- it helps new people entering the room feel more comfortable and demonstrates your interest in them. 14. Offer people you meet a warm greeting- this will set the tone for the entire encounter. 15. Say please- make it a habit to use the word please EVERY TIME you ask someone to do something for you even if they are paid to do it. 16. Get up and walk into the other room to speak to someone, rather than yelling. 17. Put the toilet seat down. 18. Turn your head and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. 19. Improve your body posture- poor posture is an indication of low self-esteem. 20. Say goodbye- make a good last impression. 21. Offer a proper handshake- a good, firm handshake demonstrates confidence and makes a good impression. 22. Give someone a hug- a hug is a sign that you really care for the other person. 23. Proof your email, text or post- this is an important component of portraying a professional online brand. 24. Click the LIKE button on someone’s Facebook post- it’s an easy way to demonstrate interest. 25. Turn off your phone in meetings- even though your phone may not make sounds, your eyes and attention will be diverted from the other people in attendance and your lack of attention demonstrates disrespect. 26. Repeat your phone number twice when leaving a voicemail- speaking slowly and repeating your phone number will make you stand out. 27. When scheduling appointments use the other person’s time zone- this avoids misunderstandings or missed opportunities. 28. Speak with life and energy in your voice- no one likes to be around people who are “dead, dull and lifeless.” 29. Walk with a bounce in your step- it’s evidence of an energetic attitude that ultimately leads to success. 30. Turn off the notifications that are bugging those around you. 31. Write things down- it prevents you from forgetting things that are important. 32. Say something positive to others about another person- reverse gossip. 33. Congratulate your opponent- good sportsmanship is evidence of leadership. 34. Introduce yourself- be proactive and introduce yourself to people whom you have never met. 35. Look for the good in others and tell them what you see- you have the ability to bring out the best in people, especially when they may not know it themselves. 36. Hold in that fart- the pain will go away in less than 10 seconds.
As you can see, each of these tips is easy to do. They don’t require any formal education or financial investment. We can begin to incorporate them into our lives this very minute. All we need is to be conscious of them and be willing to take 10 seconds to do them.
Let me encourage you to print out this list and put an asterisk beside the ones you are committed to working on. Track your results and see how you do.
This is just a small sampling of the things we can do in less than 10 seconds to make a positive impression on others. What are some other simple things we can do in less than 10 seconds? I look forward to reading them in the comments section below this post.
About the Author: Todd Smith is a successful entrepreneur of 29 years and founder of Little Things Matter.
Many people have heard "Osu!" in various martial arts schools. Some students even say "Osu!" without really understanding what it is about. Here's how "Osu!" is used:
1) Greeting "Osu!" is generally said to any higher ranking belt (especially dan ranks and instructors) whenever meeting them.
2) Acknowledgment "Osu!" is the response to any order or feedback given. It is the response a student gives whenever any instructor announces a technique or the start of a drill, or anytime an instructor corrects a student's technique.
3) An expression of commitment (Kiai) "Osu!" is used anytime you count out a drill for the last rep. It is also an expression of concentrated intention in the way a kiai is done in other martial arts.
OK, fine. But why "Osu!" and not "Hai-Ya!" (or any other random sound)?
Traditional Martial Arts and Militarism Many of the traditional arts (especially aikido) have very close ties to militaristic expression in Japan. It is customary to greet senior soldiers (NCO and officers) with "Osu!" much in the way it is used in Yoshinkan aikido. This may be a shortened form of "Ohayo Gozaimasu" which is now extended to be an acknowledgment and compliance with whatever the speaker has said. Much of the post-war martial arts training in Japan is very closely linked to right-wing (and, indirectly, to support of the Emperor). Yoshinkan itself is closely linked to the Tokyo Metro Police Force, which is also a very right-wing organization.
Hard Training "Osu" is also said to be comprised of the character for push "osu" and the character for perseverance "nin". This is a reminder to train hard, and early Yoshinkan disciples trained very hard indeed. We honor their spirit and commitment to training whenever we say "osu!". It recognizes our intention to train just as hard as they did, and to follow their example of "shugyo".
Most of us have real trouble pushing the boundries of our lives. We are creatures of habit; of routine. We find a pattern and we stick to it. This can apply to our jobs, our relationships, our eating/sleeping/drinking habits and, of course, our training habits.
It is called a "comfort zone" for precisely that reason. We are comfortable there and generally unwilling to venture far away from that. As I have mentioned in previous posts, habits can be a critical help to your training and your health when you establish positive routines and make them into habits. These can be dietary such as drinking enough water daily, getting enough sleep, or controling your calorie intake. They can be mental habits such as dispelling negative thoughts, goalsetting, and listening. They can be training habits such as focusing during class, keeping energy level high, and expecting the most from each class.
This is all good, but we need to be always mindful of the fact that quantum leaps forward in ability very often happen when we get out of our comfort zone - we adapt, we adjust, we explore, we challenge, we investigate. These are a vital part of your training and should be a vital part of every aspect of your happy and successful life.
Martial arts is so important for this. The dojo is a controlled environment where you can push your boundries and discover new abilities. In every class you become able to do things you couldn't do before and develop new understanding. With good teachers in a good dojo, you are made to safely get out of your comfort zone and build your confidence level.
Aaron's blog had a great quote:
"If you want something you never had, you must do something you never did"
Very true. Make today the day you push beyond your limits. Surprise yourself.
I LOVE wrestling (or "rasslin'" as it is called in the Deep South)
It is physical chess. It embodies good conditioning, strength, speed, endurance, and intelligence. Done well, it is a formidable addition to your body mastery and your fighting vocabulary.
So before you go get tangled up, what are some key things to think about when grappling:
1) Going Down Not much can happen in grapping until you get to the floor. There are a lot of ways to get there including single/double leg takedowns, throws, tackles, scoops, lifts, etc. There are some good common sense ideas about doing so with the highest percentage of success and control. Bear in mind tip number 2)
2) Do not get your head byond your lead toes keep your head back and down, but NEVER let it extend over your toes. Once you do, you will get pancaked or sprawled to the mats at a disadvantage.
3) Hips in, insteps down Do not dig with your toes. A good drive will stand you right back up. You need to have your hips driving and pushing through constantly. Keep your insteps down so your opponent cannot get under your hip mass.
4) Off your knees NEVER be on your knees. Instead, get on your insteps, with your hips driving through.
5) Make your opponent uncomfortable at all times You should drive your hips and ride our opponent such that he always has trouble breathing and feels your weight pushing through. This helps make him tired and keeps him from developing a good defense.
6) Take the head/spine out of alignment at the earliest opportunity and keep it from being re-aligned the best you can. Doing this takes away a lot of strength.
7) Use large muscle groups whenever possible Your hips/legs and back are your primary drivers in wrestling. Use them rather than your arms/chest whenever you can. You will get much better results and last longer. This includes putting on the submissions, meaning that you should use your legs and back rather than arms and chest to get the tap.Lifts, drops, takedowns, and throws should also rely and the legs and back for power.
8) Chains Every high percentage move has high percentage escapes - which lead to other high percentage follows-ups ad nauseum. Train in chains so you can get a feeling for the fluidity and mobility of real technique chains when you wrestle. Be as ballistic in the training as you can safely be without injuring your training partner.
9) Take The Base It is important to remove your opponent's base at every opportunity, and to keep doing so in order to ensure that they cannot recover. Use arms and legs to wrap opponent and turk the legs to keep the base offline. At the same time, you must be careful not to give your opponent your own base. Keep your hips away, and driving in and down.
10) Pane of Glass For the takedowns, imagine a pane of glass vertically between the oppnent's heels. This pane must be broken with your foot or leg, or you have not penetrated deeply enough to load onto your hips.
Went into 7am Yoshinkan beginner class at RYA on Wednesday.
I LOVE BEGINNER CLASS!
No matter how long I do Yoshinkan, it is always great to work the basics. They just never ever get good enough (and I am sure they never will). The basic motions of Yoshinkan are designed to help condition the body with ukemi, strengthen the legs and hip with kihon dosa, unify the breathing and movement with shumatsu dosa and create the platform for all the rest of the good technique you will do as an aikidoka.
It is like a pyramid, where the amount of time spent on the basics determines ultimately how high the pyramid can be built. It was traditional to go back to the basic curriculum after every rank test and begin all over again, applying all the new things learned in the past grading.
There is always a temptation to want to rush on into "the fun stuff" and learn new techniques, new forms, and jiyuwaza combinations. However, over the long term, nothing is more important that having good basics and then working them over and over again until they are part of your muscle memory.
Got into aikido Weds 7am beginner's class after a while away. I missed the energy of having a bunch of people together in the morning, and it was good to train with Sensei Mike.
I was asked to help Alan train for his 1kyu test on Saturday. 1kyu is a big exam, mine was 45 mins, and the last step before shodan. By this point, your techniques should look crisp and clean, and you should be showing some of the key principles of movement, and the foundations of good jiyuwaza.
Sensei Mike's aikido has changed. His movements are smaller; more powerful. His aikido is evolving, which is great. Today we worked on hijiate kokyunage, which has a lot of things to learn.
dynamic motion from the instant of contact
loading uke's balance onto your hips
hips moving on a downward angle to project uke
extension and zanshin
All in all, it is a very interesting series. Alan looks good. I am sure he will do fine.
I'll be trying to get into the Weds sessions more, so I can get some teaching time and work on my basics again more.
This is from the Japan Times... nb, both of my aikido teachers at RYA are Senshusei course graduates, at a time when the course was even harder than what is described below. They appear in Robert Twigger's book.
It was a riot: Carter and classmates pose for a shot with the riot police who joined them on the 11-month Senshusei Aikido course at the Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo. ANDREW CARTER
Punishing course leaves Englishman bruised but hungry for more 'cultivation'
By DAMIEN OKADO-GOUGH
At the end of February, a group of international students graduated from the Tokyo-based Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo, one of the most intensive martial arts training centers in the world.
Eyesore: Andrew Carter sports a shiner after his first session at the Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo in Tokyo last year. TIES BEEK
Yoshinkan (meaning "hall for cultivating the spirit") is a style of aikido founded by Gozo Shioda after World War II. Made famous by the controversial book "Angry White Pyjamas" by Robert Twigger, the Senshusei Aikido training course was initially started at the dojo in 1957 to train members of the Tokyo riot police. In 1991 the 11-month program opened its doors to applicants outside the police force, and since then the course has attracted recruits from all over world.
One such recruit, Englishman Andrew Carter, 24, who graduated from the course this year, spoke to The Japan Times about his motivations for starting the program and his experiences over the nearly yearlong course.
"I always wanted to join the British Army's Royal Marines when I was in my teens, but in university I went off the idea of the military ― the killing people part ― but I still wanted to experience something similar in terms of the training," he recalls. Then he read "Angry White Pyjamas," and after coming to Japan as an English teacher on the JET program, he decided to sign up for the Senshusei course.
Training takes place from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. five days a week, so paying his way was going to be a challenge. Arriving in Tokyo from Nagoya with only enough money for one month's rent, he shared a four-bunk hostel room with seven other people for the first two months of the course.
"I taught English to one of the guesthouse residents in exchange for food. I ate curry udon (noodles) for almost every meal for two months. One of the other guys, an American, had only pancake mix for two weeks of the first month."
Carter could have saved more money to help him get set up, but, he says, "I believed that a hard life outside the dojo was also important for one year, so I didn't mind coming with so little money. I was willing to endure the hardships it would bring."
The Senshusei course is famous ― some might say infamous ― for the severity of the training. Injury is not just possible, it's seemingly inevitable. The first training session of the course, says Carter, was "interesting."
"It was an hour of nonstop, difficult exercises. Out of 10 of us, one guy's legs gave out and he collapsed. I collided with another guy and he went to hospital with a cut to his head; I got a black eye out of that clash. One guy's nose started bleeding due to too many press-ups."
And this was only the first training session. For the next 11 months, Carter and his fellow trainees would endure three such sessions a day, five days a week.
"We all had bleeding backs due to hundreds of backward break-falls. The cuts would reopen each day and the backs of our dogi ― uniforms ― would turn red with blood stains. You're not allowed to start a training session with a dirty dogi, so one of the guys would tape women's sanitary towels to his back to soak up the blood."
Carter had damaged his knees during running activities in school, which made certain trials in particular all the more severe.
"My knees can become very painful. It makes seiza ― kneeling in the Japanese way ― a nightmare. Two months of the course focus onsuwari waza ― kneeling techniques ― so I wore knee supports, but other students who didn't found their knees would bleed from pivoting on them so much day after day. My training partner ended up on crutches as a result of suwari waza and seiza."
And if that was not enough, Carter also suffered back injuries.
"I damaged tissue around the lower back which lasted for about a month and a half. It made walking difficult. Sometimes I would collapse in work and my boss would have me over a table massaging my back."
Despite this, Carter stuck with the course and soon settled into the rigors of it. Then, two months after starting, he and his fellow trainees joined the police recruits for two out of the three daily classes.
"They were a mixed bunch," he says. "Two of them were girls, one a mother of two kids, three young guys and two older guys. Most of them would stick out anything. One guy kept training with a dislocated shoulder for an hour.
"When one of the international students was injured, we could take time off, but when one of the police was injured, as soon as they were fit enough to return to the dojo, they would be back. And if they couldn't train they'd be watching from the sidelines while standing in some sort of stress position. They were tough."
Soon, they started to get to know each other and bonds started to form.
"They were quite friendly to us. During our breaks we would relax together, eat lunch and use each other's medicines and ointments, etc. It is a requirement for the cops to have a black belt in a martial art before the course, so they were all black belts in judo, kendo or aikido."
But the friendship with the riot police members was not confined to the dojo.
"We had three dojo parties throughout the year. We had to perform for the teachers with the cops for our first one. We had a lot of fun at those parties. Most dojo parties ended with at least one of us or a cop passed out through drinking too much."
The police training course ended before the international students' course, but that was not the last of the camaraderie between the two groups, Carter explains.
"The cops left in November, but in February they turned up at our graduation, which was really cool of them. We didn't expect it, so it was a surprise."
Another surprise was the mental toll the course took on its participants, says Carter.
"I expected harsh training, brutal teachers and pain in my knees. I also was prepared for the possibility that I would not be physically strong enough to hack the course, but I was physically able to do everything that was asked of me. What I did not expect at the start of the course was how mentally demanding it would be."
Shugyo is a Japanese word that means "commitment to a discipline," and trainees on the Senshusei course must try to get a deep understanding of shugyo.
"Shugyo makes a great impact in the rest of your life; without some form of it, real training is impossible."
Soon after starting the course, Carter came to realize that he did not fully understand this concept.
"Others were studying techniques in their spare time while I was working or resting. It soon became clear that I was the weakest in the group as I was constantly making technical mistakes. I spent many embarrassing training sessions in front of my peers making mistakes. It was during this year that I decided I needed to re-evaluate my way of approaching life if I am to ever to be worthy of my black belt, if ever I'm to fulfill my full potential as a human being."
"I now see myself as a very different person. I used to drink and socialize a lot and leave studying to the last minute, but my year in the dojo has had a profound effect on me. It teaches you that you have to be focused, you have to predict what's coming up and study it and you have to be aware constantly of your own movements as well as being aware of a strict culture and of the teacher's needs."
"At the end of the year I see so many areas that I can improve on, in both aikido and in my life. But this is not a negative thing; it is very possible that without the course I would have never come to realize this. For me the course really unlocked a desire to do my best in all areas of life, not just the physical side of it, as I originally thought this year would develop."
Despite the physical and mental hardships that Carter endured over his year at the Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo, he feels it has all been worthwhile.
"I will take the course again and I hope to improve on the areas I am weak on. This I see as an exciting and rewarding challenge that stretches ahead of me for possibly the rest of my life, and this, more than anything else, is what I will take away from my year in the 'hall for cultivating the spirit.' "
I LOVE AIKIDO. I think it is a complex, subtle, graceful, beautiful art. People are endlessly fascinated by aikido, and so am I. After more than 20 years of studying martial arts of all shapes and sizes, aikido remains a true love of mine.
Like any true love, however, it should not be blind, but instead be tempered with mutual respect and understanding. It should be based on trust. I trust that my training will develop in me a set of skills I can depend on if needed.
It is my view that aikido exists as a system that helps students learn some very important lessons in a safe and controlled manner.
Aikido, as it is commonly taught, doesn't work.
Shocked? You shouldn't be. Aikido is designed to teach specific lessons on body mechanics; for us to master CONCEPTS, not the techniques themselves. Therein lies the fallacy for most people. People who come to the aikido school looking for self defense are puzzled. "that would never work on the street", they say. They are right. We train aikido in a particular way to master the concepts behind the techniques, and to be able to practice them in repetition without injuring our training partners or ourselves. No one should EVER get injured practicing aikido,
Think about it. In combat, nobody would ever do a technique that they know has an ukemi.
In a fight, the goal will be to end the fight as quickly as possible. One technique and done. This cannot be achieved when we do techniques we know have ukemi, and we should always expect our opponent to be a well-trained martial artist of equal or greater ability. If we give them an out, we should expect them to take it.
Before you give up and go start studying Krav Maga, Muay Thai, or boxing - Wait. Aikido techniques illustrate some very effective and important ways of harnessing our strength and disrupting our opponent's balance. To summarize:
1) how to keep our head and hips in alignment 2) how to use our hips to generate linear and centrifugal power 3) how to control and use the center line 4) how to drop our weight or load the opponent on our hips 5) how to use our elbows to connect to our hip power 6) how to isolate our opponent's arms from their hip power 7) how to maintain contact with the ground and fall safely 8) how to strike using atemi to disrupt the opponent's focus 9) how to maintain contact with the opponent's body at all times 10) how to control/immobilize an opponent on the ground
In addition to the above, we must develop a deep understanding of "the aikido chain".
The major techniques of aikido are expressly designed to help us understand the chain of power from our opponent's wrist to elbow to shoulder to spine and head. Each one shows us how to control uke's head/spine by a single touchpoint in a different way. If you concentrate on uke's wrist, you miss the entire objective of the technique, which is always about following the chain of control to manipulate uke's shoulder and, ultimately, their head and spine.
Aikido's effectiveness as a martial art manifests in two main ways.
1) manipulating uke's head and spine from a single contact point 2) adjusting the angles and footwork to remove ukemi so the opponent has no escape
Sadly, many teachers of aikido do not understand how to make the techniques effective, or even how to explain their effectiveness to students once they are mature enough to need that knowledge. I personally do not advocate the study of martial arts that are not "martial". Without some real practicality, we lose the application of the art. At that point you might as well just play the piano.
Now, I want you to go back and carefully study all the aikido techniques you have seen and start to discover how each one moves uke's head and spine to take away their strength and balance. After that, begin to look at how to isolate and remove uke's ability to take an ukemi. Let me be clear: there is no ukemi in aikido. For combat, it does not exist. It is there only for safety during training.
Very quickly you will find aikido to have a deeper and much more effective side. Done with the right intent and understanding, aikido is positively devastating - you should not need to be a 5th dan to understand that.
I was just reading comments on Lindsay Lohan's jail time for violating probation on a DUI charge.
